Finally! A bill that has been languishing in the legislative machinery for almost a decade has passed a landmark phase. The Council of Ministers passed a bill, last week, which would force any federal and regional official worthy of a title to disclose and register assets in their name and the names of their immediate family, including wives and children under the age of 18.

Well, it passed with full consensus in the council, according to gossip.
 

This should not come as any surprise, for the council looks little different from the executive committee of the ruling party; it has no minister sitting in it coming from an opposition party. Hardly was there a time when the council passed any bill after its members voted for or against it, but rather by consensus, gossip revealed. Thus, it is hard to judge the views of the members of the council based on their voting patterns.

Although the bill on asset registration and disclosure of financial interests passed the council's table with full consensus, it does not mean that there was no debate or differences of opinion among the ministers, claims gossip.

To begin with, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's decision to let the bill be tabled before the council members was unexpected, according to gossip. For far too long, he had held the view that it is not a witch hunt that would change things from their core but introducing a system that ought to make embezzlement of public resources very difficult. He was observed to have followed the policy of deterrence instead of the hunt because Ethiopia's society is so knotted - having honour and trust as its values - that those holding public offices could easily conceal their properties in the names of extended families.
 

So, why now, wonders gossip?
 

Perhaps there remain ministers whom he wishes would relinquish their posts come the next administration, but may resist and stay on, gossip contemplated. This bill, granted that it passes, will serve as a powerful legal instrument to show them their way out. The other option being the probability of facing government sanctioned investigations or public scrutiny of the sources of their assets.

Come to think of public scrutiny, much of the debate last week among the ministers was on the issue of the nature of disclosure. Many were of the view that assets should be registered; nevertheless, disclosure should be limited to those authorities with privileged access to information, said gossip.

Gossip claims, several of them have argued that disclosure should not be made easily accessible to the general public. Instead, it ought to be made available only upon request by federal and regional agencies with legitimate and justifiable requests. It is ironic to those at the gossip corridors that the very idea of the public - for whose grace politicians have to bow, bidding for votes during elections - knowing their individual and family wealth sends a chill down their spine.

Interestingly, one minister stood his ground in defense of full public disclosure, claims gossip. Tefera Walwa, minister of Capacity Building, (His ministry is said to be among those to be folded in the coming administration to become a department in the office of the Prime Minister.) argued that there should be no reason to back off from disclosure to the public after the administration has come all this way in the architecture of a bill that forces assets registrations and financial disclosure, gossip said.

To his credit, his view has prevailed upon the others, according to gossip. Members of the public, enthusiastic enough to learn who owns what in the camps of the Revolutionary Democrats, should wait a few months for Parliament to pass the bill, an additional 180 days given for those in public office to register their properties, and perhaps a one month extension - subject to a 1,000 Br penalty. 

After this will follow a feast of information, those at the gossip corridors speculate.